LESSON PLAN
Subject: Culture Jamming
Grade: 6 Time/duration: 60 minutes
LEARNING GOALS
Identities: Students will consider if they feel they are reflected in print and online ad messages they see.
Skills: Critical evaluation of messages in the media and manipulation of these images to better reflect
personal identity.
Intellect: Understand and evaluate the hidden messages in the media.
Criticality: How do the messages you see convey power? Who are the companies trying to influence
and what are they trying to make you feel or believe?
UNDERSTAND
Big Ideas:
From BC’s Applied Design, Skills and Technologies 6 Curriculum:
● Design can be responsive to identified needs.
● Complex tasks require the acquisition of different skills.
● Complex tasks may require multiple tools and technologies.
Essential Questions:
Do advertisements accurately portray who we are? Who is in power and what are they trying to make us
feel and believe?
DO
Curricular Competencies:
Demonstrate their product and describe their process, using appropriate terminology and providing
reasons for their selected solution and modifications.
KNOW
Concepts and Content:
● Digital and non-digital media and their distinguishing characteristic and uses
● Techniques for using images, sounds, and text to communicate information, settings, ideas and
story structure
● Media technologies and techniques to capture, edit, and manipulate images, sounds, and text for
specific purposes
● Influences of digital media for the purpose of communication and self-expression
First Peoples Principles of Learning:
● Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.
ASSESSMENT
Assessment FOR learning:
● Teacher will circulate the working area and check in individually with students to ensure they
understand their objective, and provide support and direction and answer questions as necessary.
Assessment OF learning:
● Students will communicate to their teacher (either through oral, written or recorded form) why
they chose their ad and how their ‘jam’ better reflects their personal identity.
● Students will be given the opportunity to share their ‘jam’ with the rest of the class but it is not
required, not will they be assessed on this optional presentation.
HOW
Materials and Technology: Preparation:
● Ads from different sources (commercials, images, ● Chairs situated in a circle,
posters, magazines, newspapers) examples of different types of ads
● Laptop and projector for showing digitized ads available (print ads to be placed in
● Writing utensils the middle of the circle)
● Paper for writing ideas ● Students may move about the
● iPads or laptops for research and/or reflection classroom space freely during the
recording lesson
Resources and References:
● https://vimeo.com/200725563 - Keynote speech on Critical Media Literacy by Dr. Catherine
Burwell
● Lasn, Kalle. Culture Jam: How to Reverse America's Suicidal Consumer Binge--And Why We
Must. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 2000. Print.
● Images from http://www.woostercollective.com/culture_jamming/ and http://www.adbusters.org/
to show students examples of culture jamming
● Definition: Culture Jamming- Any of various methods of modifying mass media (especially
advertisements) to convey a different "message".
● Definition: Meme- an idea or element of social behavior passed on through generations in a
culture, especially by imitation.
● Definition: Subvertisement -refers to the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and
political advertisements, may take the form of a new image or an alteration to an existing image
or icon, often in a satirical manner.
Instruction (Steps)
● Students are greeted by the teacher as they enter class and are seated in a circle. Teacher does a
quick check-in circle.
● Review of decoding ads in the media lesson.
● Review of key terms (culture jamming, meme, and subvertisement).
● Teacher shows examples of jammed ads - discussion around what was the original, intended
message, and how the jammed message changes it.
● Students consider what the ad is trying to sell and how it supposed to make us feel. (discussion)
● Students consider if they feel these messages reflect them as a person - are they seeing
themselves represented in the media? (discussion)
● Students select an ad from a media source (online or print) and ‘jam’ the message - change it to
better reflect themselves or their culture.
● Once students have finished their jammed ad, they can write, record or tell a reflection of their
‘jam’ - why they chose it and what the new intended message is.
● Those that want to share their presentations may do so with the rest of the class (this is not a
requirement or graded component) - this may require an additional class period.
Adaptation/Modifications:
● Students have the option to present their reflective piece in written, oral, or recorded (video or
audio recording) form.
